Rodent-trap.



J. M. WOLFE.

RODENT TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED my 16, 1912.

1 ,Q49,634, Patented Jan. 7, 1913.

UNITE s rirns T UFFIQE JACQB MILD woman, or La'rrtnor, eALiroRNIA.

nonnlv'nrnar.

new and useful Improvements in Rodent- Traps; and I do declare thefollowing to he a full, clear, and exact description of the same, suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, andto the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisapplication.

This invention relates to improvements in traps for rodents and isparticularly adapted for gopher-traps or for similar small ani mals, theobject of the invention being to produce a trap which will have apositive release for the trigger and also one which will have hingedjaws adaptedto close in against the animal. from the outside of the trapto the inside thus having a tendency to force the rodent into the trapas they engage its-body. r

A further object of the invention is to produce a baitless trap but onewhich will be so constructed as to have no tendency to frighten theanimal away.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensivedevice and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposesfor which it is designed.

These objects, I accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as willfully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claim.

In the drawings similar characters of rei'- erence indicatecorresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the com plete trap. Fig. 2 is a. sideelevation partly in section. Fig. 3 is a detached view of the jawmembers. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the trap.

Referring now more particularly to the characters ofrefer'ence on thedrawings l first provide a'cylindrical member 1 inf ne end of the trapconnected with which are a plurality of wire bars 2 forming a cage,

,such bars being connected at. their other ends with a ring,3. Such ringhas straight portions 4 to receive in a hinged manner, collars 5 onawanembers 6 such 1 aw mem- Specification of Letters Patent. Applicationfiled May 16, 1912. Serial No. 887,640.

bers thtus being capable of a swinging move ment on their hingedpointso.-Such jaws when in open position are adapted to pro;.

ject outside of the cage and to move 'im wardly when the trap is sprungby means ot the following structure and operation to- Wit: Disposedacross the cylindrical member l is a solid disk 7 provided with twoelongated slots 8 through which project rods 9 each being connected with"one of the yaws 6 by means of a hook, and eye struc ture as-at 10. Theends of the rods 9 opposite to these ends which are connected with thejaws 6 are connected with a Wire frame 11 provided at its lower end withcoiled springs 12 secured in the disk 7. The upper end of the frame llis provided with a roller 13 against which a. detent l4 isadapted toengage to push said frame 11 mugged rods 9 into'such position as willopenl'hejaws 6 outward. Then the detent 14: engages a catch 15 on alever 16 fulerumed as at 17 to the disk 7 such lever then having airin-Patented Jan 7 wardlvprojecting trigger 18 projecting into thecylindrical member 1' between the jaws 6 and the disk 7. A

in practice the trap is set in the run-Way of the gopher and as is wellknown the gopher pushes his load ahead of him as he moves along, andhence he will push the into the cage Wires 2 between the jaws 6 untilthe trigger 18 is engaged. This operation will move the member 16 on itsfulcrumed point 17 and thus disengage the catch 15 from the detent 14.The force of the springs 12 will then pull the frame 11 and rods 9 andclose the jaws (S inwardly to engage the body of the rodentas will beseen. Since these jaws 6 project outwardly from the cage when in openposition they will close inwardly on the rodent thus having a tendencyto force him into the cage rather than to have a tendency to force himout of the cage.

The member 194s a plate mounted on the member 18, tofl rm a which therodent encounters as he ters the t ap,'to insure en agnient with such meher 18 to springt e trap.

From this foregoing description it 'will'be readily seen. that I haveprod'uced'such a. des. vice as substantially"fulfilsjhe object of theinvention set 'ifOlt-ll herein.

While this specification sets forth in dey tail the present andpreferred construction oi the device, still in practice such deviw tionsfrom such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from thespirit of the invention. 4

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is A device of the characterdescribed, comprising a cage, a solid disk at one end of said cage, suchdisk being provided with two slots, a pair of aws hinged on the otherend of said cage, a rod on each jaw each of said rods prO ecting throu hone of slots.

a spring pulled frame secured to cage and connected with said. rods, adetent hinged to said disk, a catch pivoted to said 15 cage and adaptedto engage said detent, and

